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Glossary

Definition of medical terms used on the web.

Leukemia


Malignant tumor of precursor blood cells. It originates in the bone marrow and sometimes affects immune system tissues (lymph nodes, liver, spleen) or other organs which it invades through the bloodstream (spinal cord, brain, etc.)

Leukemias are acquired, not inherited, and neither are they contagious.

They may be acute (rapid onset) or chronic (gradual onset). We highlight the following types:

ALL – (acute lymphoblastic leukemia): It affects blood lymphocytes.

CLL – (chronic lymphoblastic leukemia)

AML – (acute myeloid leukemia): It affects all blood cells except lymphocytes.

CML – (chronic myeloid leukemia)